Sheet-metal can



F. WESTERBECK. SHEET METAL CAN.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 30y I915.

Patented July 27, 1920.

447 F. Washerbeok ,3, w

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WESTERBECK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHEET-METAL CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1915. Serial No. 24.866.

produce a very strong can which is made of extremely thin sheet metal.By bending the sheet metal in a particular manner, as will behereinafter described, I produce reinforcing elements which veryefl'ectively strengthenthe closure and can body, so that these parts maybe made of very light and inexpensive sheet metal.

Another object is to produce a can body having flattened closure seatswhich very firmly engage a large area of the closure. A

further object is to provide an improved means for retaining the closureon the can body.

Figure I is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a sheetmetal can embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. II is a top or plan view of a portion of the can.

' Fig. III is an enlar ed vertical section taken on line IIIIII, ig. I.

Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical section taken on line IV--IV,-Fig. I,the closure being omitted.

A designates a can body, and B designates a closure fitted to said body.The can body is made of sheet metal, and its upper portion is turnedinwardly at 1, downwardly at 2, outwardly at 3, and upwardly at 4. Bybending the sheet metal in this manner, I produce an inturnedoblong beadadapted to receive the .closure B. This bead is flattened at 2 and 5 toproduce flattened closure seats which firmly engage a very large area ofthe closure, the object b6111%t0 he produce a substantially air tightcan.

upturned marginal portion 4 of the metal of the bead terminates in a rawedge which lies between the flattened closure seats, and this upturnedportion constitutes a reinforcing element for strengthening the can. Theoblong bead is so formed that the raw edge of the metal lies adjacent tothe flattened outer closure seat 5 as shown in Fig. IV, and

when the closure is applied to the can, said raw edge is firmly forcedinto engagement with the metal of the closure seat 5 as seen in Fig.III, thereby rendering the bead very rigid, and very strong.

The closure is provided with a depending annular flange 7 which isflattened to engage the flattened closure seat' 5, a substantiallysemi-circular marginal portion 8 which extends from the flange 5 to adepending web .Patented July 27,1920.

9, the latter being flattened to engage the closure seat 2. Thesubstantially sem -circular portion 8 engages a correspondlngly shapedportion of the oblong bead at the upper edge of the can. The web 9extends downwardly from the inner face of the oblong bead, and the loweredge of said web 9.

is integrally connected to an inclined web 10 which extends toward thecenter of thecan and terminates at the flat center web 11.

The inner lower corner of the oblong bead is curved as seen at 12, andthe closure web 9 is pressed outwardly to form detents 13 (Figs. II andIII) which engage said curved corner. Each detent 13 is provided with a.curved shoulder which engages the curved corner 12, and also providedwith an inclined face which extends downwardly and .inwardly from saidshoulder. In applying the closure to the bead, the inclined faces of thedetents 13 are forced to the position shown in Fig. III the bead willspring to the position-illustrated so as to retain the 'closureon thecan.

The closure is reinforced by pressing the also by folding the flange 7backwardly on Since the closure removing device engages the lower edgeof the flange 7 it is an aditself to provide a double thickness of metalvantage to fold said flange asshown in Fig.' I

III. If the extremely thin sheet metal were not folded at this point, itwould readily tear and bend during the operation of removing theclosure. 1

I claim '1. A sheet metal can comprising a body member having its upperportion turned inwardly, downwardly and outwardly to produce a yieldablebead, the metal at the lower inner corner of the beadabeing curved, anda closure fitted to the inner and outer faces of said bead, said closurebeing provided with an annular web which extends downwardly from theinner face of the bead and said web' being pressed outwardly to producedetents which engage said curved corner ofthe bead.

2. A sheet metal can comprising a body member having its upper portionturned inwardly, downwardly and outwardly to produce a yieldable bead,the metal at the lower inner corner of the bead being curved, and aclosure fitted to the inner and outer faces of said bead, said closurebeing provided'with an annular web which extends downwardly from theinner face of the bead and said web being pressed outwardly to producedetents each of which is provided with a shoulder adapted to engage saidcurved corner of the bead, each of said detents also having an inclinedface which extends downwardly and inwardly '-from said shoulder. 1

FREDERICK WESTERBECK.

